Success Tips

Students

Do not sell door-to-door; sell to family, friends, and familiar neighbors.
Ask parents to take the catalog to work.
Set a daily selling goal.
Carry the catalog and order form with you all the time.
Introduce yourself, your group and your group goal and tell the customer what the money is going to be used for.

Show them the catalog and then ask them if they would like to help.

Be upbeat. Present the products in a good light.
If there is a product in the catalog that is a favorite of yours, point it out to customers.
Ask customers if they would like to purchase anything more.
Dress neatly.
Checks should be made out to your organization.
Remember to say, “Thank you for helping raise money for ______________ “

Students

Plan ahead.
Make sure your financial goal is clear and realistic.
Ask a lot of questions before you pick a fundraising company. (e.g., Who pays for shipping? If we participate in the incentive program will our profits be lower?) Remember to watch for hidden costs.
Pick dates for your fundraiser that don’t have you competing with other school groups.
Be sure to plan your sale dates so that you have enough time to deliver products for the holiday targeted. Plan for product delivery two weeks before the holiday.
Set a beginning date and an ending date for your fundraiser and stick with it. We suggest a two-week selling period.
Plan a launch date and a kick-off. A kick-off in each classroom motivates the students and has proven much more effective.
Put important fundraiser dates (e.g., pre-launch, launch, half-way point, order form due date, delivery dates) on a special calendar and post it prominently. Expect delivery of your order within three weeks from the date we receive your order forms.
Avoid fundraising fatigue. Conduct one or two highly effective fundraisers per year.
Listen to your fundraising company’s suggestions and advice.
Review the incentive program in detail to motivate students the day the sale starts.
Make sure the students understand how to fill out the order form properly.
Set a sales goal per student.
Provide reports and updates on the fundraiser’s progress to keep students motivated.
Allow a few days to pass after the fundraiser end date before you submit your order to your fundraising company so that you can be sure to collect all order forms.
Make sure order forms are legible and complete.
Photocopy all forms before submitting them to your fundraising company.
Refer to your order checklist before you submit your order to your fundraising company.
Recruit volunteers to help distribute product packages to the students for distribution to customers.